Being a Digital Nomad: The Good and the Bad

If you’re curious about how to become a digital nomad, what are the best location independent business ideas, and much more, you will a plenty of information here, here and here on liverix.com. Just like many other ways of living, digital nomad jobs have their charms, but you should be aware of the downsides as well. But it is our opinion that the upsides by far outweigh the downsides. Still, we try to present both sides of the coin as impartially as possible. Read on for the good and bad about being a digital nomad.

The Good

Freedom: Digital nomads are freed from the mind numbing drudgery of everyday 9-to-5 jobs, follow their own schedules, don’t have to drive through traffic every morning in a rush to get to work, and don’t have any bosses to watch over them. Digital nomads are masters of their own destinies, free to move, free to live as they wish.

Highly Affordable Cost of Living: As a digital nomad, you’ll be staying in countries such as Thailand and Greece (and so on). These are lovely countries where the rule of law holds true, and you have the basics such as a fast WiFi connection – without the high cost of living in the US or UK. Indeed, you can have an excellent lifestyle at the fraction of the cost in the US, while earning an income comparable to what you’d be earning there. It takes less than $1000 a month to live a rich and fulfilling life in ideal cities for digital nomads such as Chiang Mai in Thailand and Davao in Philippines, for instance.

See the World, Travel as You Please: You no longer have to join the Army to see the world. As a digital nomad you are exposed to a world far bigger than, say, Kansas City. And you’d be richer for the wonderful experiences that you’re likely to gain, the friends made, the languages learned, cultures explored and the pristine, exotic spots discovered.

You’re never bored: This is a lifestyle in which you’re constantly on the move and never allow boredom to strike you. You get bored, move to a new country, start from the scratch! The world of digital nomads is full of fun, mystery and curiosity. It brings out the child in you.

The Bad

Finding a Decent Place to Live: This is often the biggest problems for digital nomads. How do you find a great lodge or an apartment for rent in a strange new country? Sometimes, everything works out perfectly and you find an apartment or a hotel room that is just perfect – is clean, has a great location, has all the amenities and is very affordable. On other occasions they don’t. You might end up renting an apartment infested with cockroaches, for instance. So this is a big risk.

Finding a WiFi Connection: Some cities may not have a fast and reliable WiFi connection. As you know, one of the most important things for digital nomads is a stable and reasonably fast WiFi connection, as you’d be doing most of your work on the internet.

Convincing your family and friends: Your family and friends are unlikely, at first, to be able to understand your choice. They might even think that you’re suffering from a reaction to overwork, or trying an escapist way out. You will have to convince them that being a digital nomad is not a bad career option.

Losing touch with family and friends: As you stay and work in Laos, Cambodia several thousand miles away from your hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, you may miss out on your nephew’s birthday or your best friend’s wedding. You may get to talk to your family and friends on through email and Skype. This is, of course, a huge disadvantage of being digital nomads.

Adjusting back to traditional careers: If you’ve had enough of being a digital nomad for some reason, or have to return home because of a family situation, and have to look for a traditional job again, you may find it difficult to convince your prospective employer about how you were not wasting your time in Thailand or Argentina, and were actually working or running a serious business while you were out there.

Conclusion

Well, that’s our list of the advantages and disadvantages of digital nomad careers. Do you think such a lifestyle suit you? Are you up to the challenge? Do let us know. We’d love to hear from you!